


Shino and the Lightning Bug

by LowkeeWB



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amegakure | Village Hidden by Rain, Gen, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Late-Canon, Major Characters in Minor Roles, Memory Related, Mystery Character(s), Ninja Politics, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25268863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LowkeeWB/pseuds/LowkeeWB
Summary: Shino Aburame's complacent life as a school teacher is interrupted by the arrival of a strange chakra insect that bears a cryptic message. Soon, it seems that it has connected him to an old conspiracy in a place he thought he had long since forgotten: Amegakure, the Village Hidden in Rain.He has been called back to action, with the Hokage's own assistance, to solve this mystery. What memories has he left behind?
Relationships: Shino - Relationship
Kudos: 7





	1. PAPA

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in this fandom. I'm still picking up aspects of how to deal with all of the different localizations involved here, but I hope that I've left enough context in the names for people to come from any part of the series.

Chapter 1: PAPA

Shino Aburame was only one hour into adjusting his lesson plans when his computer shut down, taking all of his work with it.

_What?_ He wondered. _The battery should be fully charged. I even kept it plugged in. Perhaps these Kaminarimon machines are still too complex to be trusted._

It had taken less than a decade after the Fourth Shinobi World War for computers to expand beyond the specialized purposes of the past. It had taken Shino years of practice just to gain a basic competency, but even that seemed insufficient now. He was a jonin level ninja, and still he couldn’t guess what had happened.

Just as quickly as it shut down, the computer reactivated, but the screen no longer displayed his work. Instead, there was a single word repeated in dense columns that spread across the entire page.

PAPA, it read. It made no sense to Shino. Was this what was known as a computer bug?

He called a former student of his who seemed best suited to deal with this.

“Denki, how are you? How have your genin missions been? Easy? That is good news. I don’t know what I would do if one of my students got hurt.”

Denki was the heir to the Kaminarimon company, which had single-handedly been modernizing the Land of Fire through electricity. Living up to his father’s business, Denki had specialized in technology. Even still, it took him a full half-hour to determine what had happened once he rushed to the Ninja Academy.

“I’ve never seen anything like this, sensei.”

“This is all quite inconvenient. That’s because our newest class of ninja is being admitted in a month. How will I provide them with the best education possible without planning ahead?”

Denki gave it a second try, hooking up his own computer. He hit a few keys and all of the ‘PAPA’ text disappeared, returning the lesson plans back to the screen. But instead of relief, he flinched away from the screen in disgust.

“A b-bug!” Denki said. A tiny multi-legged thing had emerged on the surface of the computer.

The Aburame clan specialized in insects, so Shino had no compunction about reaching out to it and picking it up with two fingers, holding it close for inspection. It was a variety he had never seen before, with remnants of chakra that somehow felt both familiar and foreign. He knew it was not a wild insect, because its six legs were relaxed under his grasp, pacified by the aura of his own energy.

“H-How did that come out of the computer?” Denki asked.

“I believe you are the one with the tools to find out,” Shino said. “I know that this is a chakra bug freshly depleted of energy, but it has left no trace of what it did with its chakra.”

Denki’s eyes flashed. “I know! I can access the logs.”

Shino seated himself as his former student began going through lines of coded text. The teachers’ office filled with the sound of clicking keys as Shino sunk into meditation, drawing the bug inside of him.

_Papa_ , the text had read. When he thought on it, the only thing Shino considered himself father of were the many variants of chakra insects that he bred and sheltered within himself. He supposed it was a type of surrogate parenthood.

_Indeed, being drawn to teaching also seems to be part of that surrogacy. Even though raising insects and teaching ninja are different tasks, I cannot deny that there are similarities. How did I come to be this way?_

Kurenai-sensei had once said that teaching was not Shino’s specialty. What she had meant was that educating would take more effort from him than a ‘natural’, and he had embraced the challenge. He found himself willing to dedicate all of his time and energy to his students, even though they kept him continually anxious. He was a man filled with bugs, and the Aburame clan was never known for being gregarious. Why had he taken this job? Why did he care so much about nurturing a bunch of would-be ninjas in peacetime? From where did this fatherliness in him originate?

His questions went unanswered because Denki soon completed his search.

“Shino sensei, I think I found out what happened through the log dump. Look, the computer registered a small surge of energy to specific parts of the processor. When I undid the changes from that surge, the bug sprung out of it. Is that even possible, as a jutsu?”

Shino thought about it for a moment.

“I would not be able to do it,” he said. “But I understand how it could come about. My clan can morph insects into chakra for storage and distribution all across our bodies. Without this, the number of insects we could produce would be limited by the size of our bodies and the size of external containers.”

Denki nodded, hesitating at the thought that his teacher was filled with bugs, even encoded as energy. That was the common reaction.

“We do not have any lightning users in the clan, but I suppose that someone with the affinity might be able to find a breed that could carry that energy. Then they could transport it to a specific computer using some kind of Lightning Release. How? I do not now, computers are not my specialty.”

“Doesn’t the Hokage use a computer?” Denki asked. “Couldn’t this be really dangerous, Sensei?”

Shino nodded. “Yes, Denki, good thinking. Will you come with me to the Hokage’s mansion? My lesson plans will have to wait.”

They were not visiting just to see Naruto, but also to consult the many departments near his office that focused on deciphering codes, sensing chakra, and other such forms of analysis. It was not worth bothering the overworked Hokage until he could find proof of something concrete.

After touring all of the departments that could possibly provide more information on the subject, they had only a little more knowledge: this particular insect had been fed with chakra from outside the Land of Fire, and the lab had reproduced samples to send to the major Hidden Villages. Denki’s theory had been proven right: the bug had traveled by radio waves and electric current from far away and executed a simple set of instructions targeted especially for Shino’s computer. It just as easily could have infiltrated the computer of the Hokage or any of his assistants, or even targeted the power network of Konoha.

Naruto responded to the news lightheartedly.

“Well, it could have been much worse,” he said. “Now we have a new, literal, kind of bug to look out for in our network.”

Shikamaru, ever the vigilant adviser, cut in. “Our cryptanalysis team will need to expand its personnel to include an Aburame clan member and another technology specialist. Kaminarimon will have to be informed as well to begin creating countermeasures. It will be a major hassle, but changes will have to be made everywhere.”

Hearing the plan from his old classmate brought out the strategist out within Shino.

“My clan has yet to replenish its numbers following the Shinobi World War, so we will have to be economical with those assignments.”

“Wait,” Naruto said. “If there aren’t many of the clan, doesn’t that mean that we can easily find who sent this bug?”

Shino shook his head. “The Aburame are not the last surviving insect specialists, and we live entirely within the village. The origins of the chakra are from outside of the Land of Fire. It couldn’t be one of us.”

Shikimaru stroked his pointed beard. “The message did say ‘Papa’, didn’t it? You wouldn’t happen to have any children in other lands, would you? I know Konoha business had you traveling quite frequently for a few years.”

“That is impossible. Do you know why? I have not been intimate with a single person in my entire life.”

Denki covered his eyes and blushed. Naruto rubbed the back of his head uneasily. Shikimaru placed his hand on Shino’s shoulder with a sympathetic look. All typical responses.

“It could have been another member of the clan. Maybe Torune? His ANBU business could have taken him to some other country, where he could have fathered a child.”

Shino’s lips tightened. “Unlikely. That’s because Torune’s body was filled with poison and venom for the purpose of assassinations. He would only be able to copulate with someone with an equivalent specialization in toxins. This suggests to me that they would lack the lightning affinity necessary for this chakra user to inherit.”

Denki blushed again when he heard the open discussion of sex among ninja, and Shikamaru spoke out.

“Hey, you’re a genin now, Denki, what are you getting flustered for? This kind of talk is part of being a shinobi too.”

_He is partially correct,_ Shino thought. _The frank discussion of creating ninja families was more common in our chaotic past, when the front lines of war needed to be constantly reinforced. What inelegant subjects for this generation. Who could seriously discuss things such as ‘breeding’ and mixing bloodline techniques at a time like this?_ None of his classmates had looked beyond ‘love’ when they chose their partners. Even though the survival of the Aburame clan depended on the production of new members, Shino had never found himself thinking too heavily about it.

“What a troublesome mystery,” Shikamaru said. “Well, there’s not much else for us to do now but wait to see what the other Hidden Villages say about the chakra sample.”

On his way out, Naruto gave Shino some unsolicited advice.

“Hey, don’t be too concerned. There’s plenty of ninja who never have children, ya know.”

Shino knew that. But unlike any of the childless shinobi, he had no obvious excuse. His past was not filled with loss like the Fifth or Sixth Hokage. Even among his old team, Kiba had no children, but he at least had companionship and a busy household filled with animals. When Shino returned home to his apartment, he was returning to a few bare rooms and an empty bed. Even if he lived at home, there would be little companionship. He had no living siblings, and his parents were not the kinds of people that he could relax around.

He couldn’t even relax when he went out with other teachers and team leaders for a drink. Becoming inebriated would mean losing control over the massive swarms of bugs within himself. Shino was not isolated by any means, but he certainly was alienated from everyone around him. The idea that someone could ever call him ‘Papa’ seemed to be a cruel joke. He had almost suspected that the bug’s message was the product of a genjutsu, but multiple people had confirmed that the bug and its message were not hallucinations.

The sun had already set, but the streets were lit with the lights of the Kaminarimon Company. Shino imagined what it might be like to send a bug along the wires and through the city, to speed through the busy streets at the speed of light. With multiple bugs, it would almost be like becoming the city itself, lightning bugs moving like neural impulses through the brain.

He stopped by the family home, greeted by uncles, aunts, cousins, and family, all nearly identical in their clothing. If it were light out, they all would have been wearing sunglasses, too. The Aburame could be identified practically from the other side of town because of their similarity. It was part of the reason Shino had changed his ‘look’ when he moved out. The change in appearance made no difference to the clan. Their sniffer bugs had smelled him from several houses away as he approached, and his own lookouts met theirs before he even saw the front gate.

“What brings you here?” his father asked, not unkind.

“A new species of insect arrived this afternoon. It seemed to use Lightning Release techniques to travel through radio waves and electric current.”

The clan gathered to look at it on Shino’s fingertip, with excitement, yet even the youngest child was able to prevent themselves from touching it. It was Shino’s insect, and it was taboo to make such contact without cause.

“Lightning? Perhaps forty years ago, we had a lightning user in the clan,” his father said. “But he could only use his insects to conduct lightning over short distances. He died at too young an age to find an insect that could use lightning itself.”

_We know it is not impossible to use bugs and lightning together,_ Shino thought. _But how would someone learn to use them unified into one?_

“Is there any chance someone could have mastered lightning first before developing an affiliation with insects?” Shino asked.

The assembled elders consulted with each other, coming to a quick consensus.

“If the insects are not introduced at birth, the amount of control and familiarity are vastly diminished. Creating a new technique or incorporating a new species would be completely impossible.”

The sender of the ‘PAPA’ message was initiated into the clan at birth. Who could have done this?

He ran out of questions for his family and kept the rest of his doubts to himself as he returned home. The questions haunted him over his bowl of ramen and swarmed above his shoulders as he climbed the stairs home. The part that stuck with him the longest was the text of the message: PAPA. When he heard it, it almost felt as if he was forgetting something. But no matter how he tried, nothing came to mind.

* * *

The questions remained with him for a week. Then, the Hokage’s office received reports back from the chakra-sensing teams of the other nations. The bug’s chakra originated north of the Land of Wind and south of the Land of Earth. Combined with the knowledge that the bug’s energy came from west of the Land of Fire, they had triangulated the source of the unknown bug-user.

“The Village Hidden by Rain? Why would an Ame ninja send a message all the way to a Konoha schoolteacher?” Shikamaru had called Shino to be in the room when the results arrived.

Shino’s arms were crossed as he looked down at the scroll. “From one thousand doubts, one question. And I seem to be part of the answer.”

Naruto looked up from his paperwork. “You definitely were in Ame right after the Last Shinobi World War. You gathered intel for Konoha on what the situation was like there with Pain and his crew all dead.”

Shino recalled the mission. The Village Hidden by Rain had lost its shinobi rulers after years under the sole authority of the Akatsuki member Pain. He was sent to determine if the Village would continue to be a haven for rogue shinobi. He had encountered a chaotic city, split between different factions, with some potentially backed by criminal elements.

The largest and most stable faction had described themselves as the Lovers (as in ‘The Lovers of Pain’), who occupied the shrine that once housed the powerful ninja himself. It had been necessary for Shino to place himself under their protection because they were the closest it came to a just government in the town. The Lovers had consolidated their power and now ran Ame as a lawful Hidden Village.

“I don’t believe I have to repeat what I said about my romantic history during our last meeting,” Shino said. He saw zero chance that he could have fathered someone on that mission.

“Hold it,” Shikamaru said. “What if Shino’s memories on the subject can’t be trusted? Maybe you were under a genjutsu, or maybe your memory was erased. Maybe too much drinking one day?”

_He has a point,_ Shino thought. _But if I question all of my memories abroad, the list of places that I might have offspring would be absurdly high._

“We need fresh intel,” Shino said. “What is our most recent report?”

“We don’t have our own reports after Ame joined the Shinobi Union,” Naruto said.

Shikamaru sighed. “What a pain...”

“We don’t spy on our allies,” Naruto said. “I trust our shinobi near the border and the scouts of the other Kage.”

Shino admired the Hokage’s ability to trust. It was the kind of thing that was very difficult to teach to young ninjas, but it was a crucial part of maintaining peace. It had its limits, though. They were seeing that now.

“Scouts can do nothing at this point,” Shino said. “I doubt that the other nations would send ANBU members on our behalf, and Ame would never turn out its own shinobi for an external inspection either. I can recall the fierce loyalty of the Lovers from all of those years ago.”

“We might be at a stalemate,” Shikamaru said, his fingertips pressed together. “We learned during Mitsuki’s disappearance that infiltration is not so simple a premise in these days. We can’t get through the Ame defenses without losing our diplomatic position.”

The three men settled into their own thinking on the issue. Naruto thought about it from the position of the Hokage: the lightning bug was a minor threat that could be ignored if Konoha’s defenses were improved. Shikamaru thought about it as a tactician would: the appearance of the lightning bug could be a feint to test their ability to respond to jutsu-based attacks; this proved their need to collect new intel. For Shino, his attention was drawn to his own abilities and the responsibilities he had as a teacher, as a member of his clan, and as a citizen of Konoha. And maybe as someone who could be called ‘Papa’ by that distant visitor.

“Unauthorized infiltration may not be advisable,” Shino said. “But what about using our diplomatic status to our benefit? How? It’s simple: stage a diplomatic visit and have me attend as an Ambassador. I will sniff out the insect user myself.”

The idea made sense to the others, but they had their own rejections.

“That’s too risky,” Naruto said. “How would you get support if something happened?”

Shikimaru’s response was a lot shorter. “Bad move. Losing you would be like losing a Golden General. You’re a pawn no longer.”

“I’m the only insect-user with experience in Ame. Nara, you should know that different pieces have their own uses in shogi. Are you going to deny me my purpose? Is that really how you play the game?” Shino’s accusation came out with force.

Naruto raised his hands again in appeasement.

“Whoa, whoa, we can be calm, ya know?”

Shikamaru and Shino stared down each other. They recognized each other as some of the strongest intellects in the village, but only one of them stood at the Hokage’s side. Naturally, Shikamaru and Naruto would agree, even if it meant shutting down Shino. Shino was the one who was more capable of operating independently, armed with thousands of tiny allies. What was natural to him was abnormal to them: Naruto and Shikamaru only went solo when things got personal or there was no other choice. What was ironic, then, was that Shino preferred not to be isolated. He faintly understood why he was asking to be sent out alone this time: he had finally found a cause that was personal.

Naruto seemed to sense this too.

“You’re not going out there alone. I’m coming with you. The Hokage is supposed to be an ambassador too, right?”

Shikamaru sighed. “It seems like the pieces are calling the strategies now. Konoha’s unpredictability is almost predictable at this point.”

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. “It’ll be a friendly visit. I remember seeing a proposal about a Young Shinobi Union. As Hokage, I would have an invitation to the planning session. I’ll bring Shino as one our brilliant teachers to give his opinions. Maybe we could propose for the meeting to be held in Ame instead of the Land of Iron?”

Shino watched as Shikamaru thought it over. The plan had its risks, but less than those that involved sending him in alone. It didn’t have all of the military risks of sending a shinobi to sneak in. Naruto and Shino alike had proven their ability to survive on their own and escape dangerous situations, so even if everything broke down, there was little chance they would lose the Hokage, and there was no chance that the Hokage would allow Shino to die.

“Fine,” Shikamaru assented. “But if this is the start of a new war, I get veto authority on our battle strategy.”

Shino knew that Shikamaru practically had that authority now. He was among the handful of people that Naruto would listen to, no matter the situation. Even though Shikamaru was grumbling now, he was in agreement with Naruto and Shino: the preparation could start now.

* * *

It took a few weeks for all five Kage to agree to the idea of hosting the Young Shinobi Union at a more central location. The Samurai reluctantly agreed, accepting the loss in representation only because the Shinobi in question would be young genin without much importance. The only unexpected change was the addition of additional visitors in addition to Naruto and Shino: Boruto Uzumaki and Sarada Uchiha.

Shino didn’t get an explanation until the group assembled at the train station. Boruto and Sarada were bickering about one thing or another, but Naruto still spoke in a hushed tone so they wouldn’t hear.

“How was the Youth Shinobi League going to have its first meeting without youth?” he said. “They don’t know about your mission, but Sasuke gave his approval. He’ll meet us there.”

To Shino, it seemed slightly unethical to take children on a mission without telling them what was at stake. That was twice as true with what he knew from being their teacher: Boruto and Sarada were starved for affection from their fathers and would do anything to spend time with them.

It was the kind of thought that a parent would usually not have, but it was easy enough to see how it affected Boruto: he followed in his father’s footsteps as a headstrong troublemaker. Sarada wanted to become Hokage to mimic her father’s own role in protecting the village. All Shino could do as their teacher was make sure that they were safe and teach them the skills they would need to survive on the road ahead. Judging by their careers as genin, he had at least been successful in that, even if he could do nothing about their fathers’ extreme dedication to Konoha.

Somehow, the two young ninja were able to argue and chatter for most of the journey to the Land of Earth. Shino supposed they were excited, especially with the Hokage there. Once they were joined by the Tsuchikage for the last leg of the journey to Ame, the kids quieted down. There had been something of a kerfuffle in town a while back that had involved all of them, but they managed to keep up the stoic demeanor of professional shinobi now.

The professional demeanor fell apart once they reached Ame. True to its name, it was storming heavily over the hidden village as the train came in, and the children pressed their faces to the glass to take in the city. Shino took advantage of his sunglasses to inspect the city intently while facing straight ahead. It had grown denser and larger in footprint in the years since he had visited, but the brown color of rust had begun to dominate the older buildings. That seemed like the natural result for a city built of metal: whatever coating or cladding had been applied to the outside of the sky-scraping structures had worn off with the years of rain and wind. Even still, the city drew all eyes upward, seeming as if it sprouted from the water.

On his last visit, he had taken a boat from the shore of the lake, bailing water alongside the other passengers as the rain threatened to sink them. Now, the train rolled along tracks only a few meters above the surface of the lake-- after the Lovers faction had taken control, they had put an emphasis on the accessibility of their city and safe travel. It was a substantial improvement over the situation under the control of Pain, back when the city had been isolated.

A welcoming party awaited them at the train station, which was little more than a pier built out to meet the tracks. A group of six ninja stood in dark red robes-- a strange shade that bordered on maroon. It was the color of dried blood, and the cut was almost reminiscent of the uniform of the Akatsuki, except that it left their expressionless faces unobstructed. Shino and the other visiting ninja exited the train with caution, but the welcoming group acted to reassure them.

Simultaneously, the six shinobi bowed at the hips, raising their heads only after holding the pose. After a few seconds too many, they returned to their normal stature, all smiling.

_This synchronization... Is this the same technique that Pain used?_ Shino saw no signs of the control rods that had enabled the shinobi known as Nagato to manipulate other bodies from a distance.

He saw Naruto glance over to him. Shino gave the tiniest shake of his head in response. He had been sending scouting insects out through the window of the train and there was so evidence of chakra flow behind their performance _. Could this be the result of practice and dedication?_

They spoke in a chanting harmony. “Welcome to Ame, honorable shinobi. We are the Will of Pain.”

The name caused a stirring in the older visitors. Shino understood the hesitation: The man named Nagato had taken the name Pain and ruled over the country as a divine figure. He had caused death and suffering across the world, only relenting at the very end of his life. He had surrendered to Naruto and resurrected many of the ones he had killed, but most felt that his legacy had not been cleared. Hearing the people of Ame honor his memory no doubt unsettled some of the ninja who had not had the same experiences in town as Shino. The city was now a hospitable place of honorable people who worked hard to restore themselves.

Naruto was true to his nature.

“I’m honored to be here, ya know,” he said. “I hope we can create a future where young ninja can grow up safe from harm.”

The kage from all major countries were already present, and the representatives from minor countries would be arriving over the rest of the day. The guests would be hosted at some of the inns that had been created by Ame-- some of them would be reaching capacity for the first time today. The six members of the Will of Pain led the party to the largest inn, as crowds of people split to allow passage, lowering their heads in deference to their ruler.

“What’s the deal with that?” Naruto whispered to Shino.

Shino leaned over to explain. “The religion that formed up around Pain still continues.”

Once upon a time, Konoha would have appeared puny compared to the heights of Ame, but the growth of Pain’s city had hit a limit. Still, the tallest tower in Ame was that of the Altar of Pain, where a shrine was maintained by his worshipers. There was scaffolding around it now, and workers toiled to remove the rust that had built up on it.

The Will of Pain stopped and gestured with open hands to the shrine.

“We apologize for the unsightly appearance,” they said, each person speaking at a different pitch. “The honor of hosting the Young Shinobi Union was a complete surprise.”

_And that was part of the plan,_ Shino thought. _If their defenses had been fully prepared, they would have been able to sense my insects before I could fully explore the village._

The Will of Pain left the group in the lobby of the inn, promising to meet them all at the next day. No one settled until they were out of sight.

“That wasn’t Pain’s jutsu, right?” the Tsuchikage asked Naruto.

“I don’t think so. I didn’t use Sage Mode, but it seemed that there was no chakra being used.”

A third voice came from the entryway.

“I agree.”

Shino had sensed its owner approaching, but wanted to allow Naruto the chance of being surprised.

“Gaara?” Naruto grinned. “What are you doing here?”

Gaara strolled in, his adopted son stalking behind. “All 5 kage and their followers are staying here. These are the best accommodations in Ame.”

Shino allowed the kage and the children they escorted talk among themselves. Now was the time to step out into Ame and search for the origins of the lightning bug. Just before he exited, a shadow darkened the sliding doorway. Shino froze, and saw a familiar face enter-- Kankuro, the puppeteer. They had battled once, in their youth, but had been on the same side ever since then. They exchanged a nod.

“Be careful,” Kankuro said. “Their scouts are everywhere.”

“Naturally,” Shino replied. He had been prepared for this. It was finally time for a real mission.


	2. Marks of Guidance

Once he was out in the open air, he could use the pheromones of his swarm to check in on his chakra sensors without alerting any of Ame’s own ninja. It had taken constant effort to breed these two specializations into insects, and the tradeoff had been extremely short lifespans. He had until sunset before his network of bugs would fall apart-- He could not wait for surveillance to grow lax.

Shino pretended to be sightseeing-- in a sense, it was not an act. He still remembered these streets and the canals that cut through the city-- it was a sense of familiarity that, bewilderingly, was interspersed with fondness. _What has this town done to earn tenderness from me? My scouting mission was nothing but a milk run. Why should I feel anything about these sights?_

Shino felt one of his sensor bugs respond. It had found traces of the target’s chakra. His sniffers reported the direction the scent cloud had come from, and he turned at the next corner to follow it, feigning nonchalance with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the sights of the city. He needed to make sure he was not giving off any signs of sensing his target-- if he was being led into a trap, any advantage would count.

His bugs led him away from the city center and into a more residential area. Shino could remember some of these streets: this had been the power center for the Lovers of Pain before they had gained control of the city. The cramped alleys and paths were thick with people. Above him, he could sense the eyes of people looking from the open windows of their tenements. Like any neighborhood in Ame, this place was filled with war refugees. Even if there had been a decade of peace, Shino supposed it was impossible for someone to adapt to losing their home: even Konoha still bore the marks of what Pain had done to it.

His bugs led him into an alleyway, the sun becoming entirely blocked out, even though it had been a clear day. He moved through shadows, stepping around plastic chairs and dodging playing children. He could tell he was being watched, but there were no ninja pursuing him. Shino proceeded deeper into the block of towers, the sunlight fading as the source of the chakra grew stronger. He followed it all the way up to a metal doorway. He looked left, then right. _No pursuers. My insects will serve as the lookouts._

His insects scouted ahead and found no signs of life ahead. The door was unlocked. He opened it and stepped through... and directly into someone’s living room. Much to Shino’s surprise, there was someone already inside. A woman was writing at a low table, but she turned her head when she heard the door. Shino froze. Her eyes widened in shock. They stared at each other, wordless.

He was not used to being surprised, especially when his insects were involved. The lady he was intruding on was the first to speak. She stood up, body in a defensive posture. Her arms were long enough that she could had access to two equipment pouches along her left leg

“Why are you here?” she asked, her voice shaking.

Her panic unnerved Shino further. He had been mentally prepared for a shinobi duel or maybe a quick escape. He was not expecting to stumble in on a normal person. He reacted reflexively.

“S-sorry for bothering you!” he said. “My name is Shino, I’m a schoolteacher visiting for the Young Shinobi Union. Someone on the street told me you might have some opinions...”

Even as he spoke, Shino was critical of his story. He was revealing too much about himself to a stranger, and the story he made up on the spot was flimsy. He was only guessing that the woman in front of him might be a mother.

“A teacher? I guess that makes sense.” Her posture relaxed, but she still exuded a sense of uneasiness. “They call me Shiori. I guess I’m an educator too, in a way.”

Somehow, she had bought his excuse. They both remained off balance.

“An educator? You teach?” He was lucky.

“Close.” A weak smile was there on her lips. “I’m a school librarian.”

“Ah.” Shino looked around the tight room. The walls were lined with shelves, packed with scrolls and books.

“I presume you want to ask some questions about our education system,” she said. “For starters, we have both a Ninja Academy and schools for general education, following the example of our neighbors.”

She gestured to a cushion across the table from where she had been writing. Shino noticed the seat allowed him to put his back in the corner and face the entrance, a position that had mixed results in an ambush. He sat down and took out a note pad. He would write using an inkbug\-- a species that he had designed to evenly disperse a dark pigment when brought to paper. He noted Shiori paying it a small bit of attention and not recoiling at the sight. That was not a typical reaction.

Shino began gathering intel. “So… “What’s your assessment of the young ninja in your country? How do they compare to your generation?”

Shiori had to think about the question, turning her head this way and that in an incredibly visual display of her inner thoughts. Shino could understand that: when he thought about his students, he too was conflicted.

“Well, times were hard when I was becoming a ninja in Ame,” Shiori said. “Just after the last World War, we started to improve conditions, but it is often said that soft times create soft ninja. I worry about that.”

Shino nodded. It was a common worry among teachers.

“But I’ve also found that because things are easier, certain shinobi are able to continually improve themselves to far higher levels than if they had been forced to toughen up quicker.”

Shino found himself nodding again. “I’ve seen that as well. When they can find their own motivation, the youth have the ability to surpass previous generations. By the time my first chunin exam ended, I had faced death-- it changed me and the way that I acted, I know it.”

“I never had my chunin exam,” Shiori said. “But I might understand what you mean. When Pain left this Earth, rogue ninja from other countries tried to take advantage of us. Everyone had to fight to maintain our independence. Our energy was spent surviving, and not learning.”

“The fighting didn’t end then, did it? It devolved into a shadow war supplied through other countries, so the point where all of Ame fought against itself.”

“You talk like you have memories of those days.” Shiori inspected Shino closer than before. “Were you around back then or something?”

It was a major intel breach from Shino. He couldn’t be a teacher and an operative both, not if he didn’t want to look suspicious.

“Uh.... No.”

Shiori nodded. “Oh, you must have heard it from some other ninja, right?”

“Yes!” Shino jumped on her excuse. They both relaxed and he jumped into his next question.

“So, your students are doing well, but what about their access to technology? Ninja are using computers and other such gadgets more and more.”

Shiori’s eyes lit up. “Ame was ahead of certain other hidden villages in terms of technology, but it’s been tough to keep up lately. That’s why I make sure to keep informed of new developments-- I want my students to have the best chance and I provide them with what tools I find.”

Shino nodded furiously. Sometimes trying was all that was possible in this rapidly evolving world.

Shiori laughed softly. “I guess you might have an easier time with all that technology, with the Kaminarimon headquarters in your village.”

A stab of anxiety went through Shino’s back. _I never told her what village I was from. She might have guessed... Or did she slip up? Is this why she’s been so anxious this entire time?_

Shino’s eyes met Shiori’s. Fear and doubt on her face had emerged right after her slip up. _She’s been stalling, I should have seen it as soon as she didn’t shoo a creep like me out of her house. I need to make an exit. This could be an ambush after all._

He got to his feet. “I’ve been taking too much of your time. I apologize. Thank you for your thoughts.”

Shiori followed him as he hurried to the door. “Why the rush? I can make tea...”

He declined, putting his sandals on with an inappropriate amount of haste. This lack of control was unlike him. He needed to clear the current tactical situation. He needed to escape. His hand reached for the door, but it slammed open and he leaped backwards to evade the new entrant, preparing to unleash the swarm within him.

No attack came from the doorway. The new visitor was young, shorter than him, with no killing intent. A bookbag was hanging casually over her shoulder and she seemed surprised to find someone in her entryway. Shino had almost thought she was a boy on first sight, because her hair was cut short and she had the long arms like Shiori and shoulders somewhat broader than the average. _Just a child. As surprised to see me as I am to see her. At least a genin, but obviously inexperienced._

Shino squeezed past the girl and rushed out onto the street, letting his legs carry him swiftly through the streets. He had not felt like this in years, but he could still remember the first time he had experienced fear: his first chunin exam. It was more than the experience of being hunted, it was the kind of all-consuming fear that came to him when he lost control of a situation. The feeling was unreasonable of him-- he could not see anyone in pursuit, no attacks had been launched, and he was already back in the busy city center, where plenty of outsiders would be witnesses if he was attacked. But he could not stop running.

He finally forced himself to slow down when he reached the hotel. The Five Great Kage and company were still socializing, picking over a large spread of sushi. Naruto sensed something was off as soon as Shino walked in, sweating and panting. He placed a hand on Shino’s shoulder.

“Release!” Naruto said. Nothing happened.

“That’s weird, I thought you might have had a genjutsu or something. I’ve never seen you so worried.”

Shino realized his loss of balance was visible, and immediately began the process of recovery. He wound up his memories of the afternoon back into himself, bringing his feelings and his observations back to his core. It was the central tenet of the Aburame insect _jutsu_ _:_ maintain self-control to gain victory. His inner calm would prevail over any panic.

“I may have been compromised. It was my fault.”

Naruto patted him on the shoulder. “Rest up-- we’ll all talk tonight. I’ve got your back if Ame files a complaint.”

Shino waited in his room, sitting up with his back against the wall. He tried to remember the details of the apartment that he had stumbled into-- he knew its location and his insects still could trace the target chakra from it. He could scarcely remember anything about the woman inside, except that he had failed to keep his identity a secret from her. The strongest memory he had was from the child that had appeared-- maybe older than Boruto, but he could not be certain.

Whatever the case of her age, she could likely be the source of the lightning bug chakra. The knowledge was insufficient; They still needed to know why the lightning bug had been sent to Konoha, and why Shino was called ‘Papa’ by its user. Today’s misadventure had proven that he remembered his past mission with high precision. There was no chance that he had fathered a child and then forgotten about it because when he could remember his month in Ame down to each day’s business.

He spent a few weeks acting as a traveling peddler and then left the city without incident. He formed no bonds other than passing acquaintances with other merchants and business connections among factions. Because he wielded insects, he had abstained from alcohol, so it was not as if there could be some period of time in which he was intoxicated beyond memory.

At midnight, Shino stole into the ‘Kage suite’ on his floor. Naruto was waiting, along with Gaara, Kankuro, and Sasuke. They were seated on _tatami,_ with one spot left for him. It was a position of respect he had never been in before among some very powerful people.

“The Kazekage and Kankuro wanted to listen in,” Naruto said. “They had visits from the lightning bug too, ya know.”

Sasuke sat by Naruto’s side, ever the loyal executor. After years of dedicated service, Shino knew that he could trust Sasuke too. The Kazekage had the other side of Naruto, such that Shino and Kankuro were neighbors. Shino spoke lowly to the others as they leaned into hear.

“Using the chakra trace provided to the Five Kage, I used insects to search the entire city. Once a location was provided, I traveled to the area and personally searched for the source. I found a young ninja with the same chakra, but due to my own carelessness, I believe an enemy agent identified me.”

Gaara leaned back out of the circle. “I doubt that. We are not under any kind of surveillance here. With all of our ways to detect enemy shinobi, any spies would be long known by now.”

_Of course, with a sharingan, a rinnegan, Sage Mode, and Gaara’s eye, it would be easy to spot any snooping ninja. Maybe the authorities had not been alerted._

“Even still, a woman inside the household knew that I was from Konoha, even though I had said nothing about that.”

Naruto thumped his fist down into his palm. He was convinced that there was trouble again.

“That is not too remarkable,” Gaara said. “Konoha shinobi have a very distinctive way of _being._ It does not take a spy to guess where any of you come from, especially during these times of peace. You don’t even have an ANBU unit.”

Shino always thought himself as being too reserved to be grouped in with the other people of Konoha, but could admit that he was not qualified to make a judgment on it.

Sasuke had his own questions. “Can you provide a description of this woman?”

Shino went back to his training: it would be simple to provide information on Shiori’s height, complexion, hair, body type, eye color, and more. It was something they learned early at the Ninja Academy. He tried, but nothing came.

After a few too many moments of silence, Naruto spoke up.

“Hey, Shino, are you okay? We can do this a little later if you still need rest, ya know.”

Shino shook his head. “I’m not tired. I just can’t tell you any details. Why? It’s as if I have no memories of that woman besides her name... and even then, I can barely remember it.”

A shiver passed through the group. By Shino’s reputation, they knew he would not casually forget things. This could only be the work of an enemy jutsu.

Sasuke remained calm. “What about the younger ninja?”

“She was a _genin_ older than Boruto and about as tall as Iwabe. A normal complexion, with short black hair. Brown irises. As for clothing, all that I recall is that she had a long jacket that went below the knees.”

Sasuke nodded. Shino’s details were only present for one of two residents of that household.

“Hmph. It isn’t a genjustu, but somehow, Shino’s memories have been tampered with.”

They all looked at him and Shino reflexively tucked his chin into his lapel. Somehow, he had been on the defensive this entire time without knowing it. _How far back does this memory manipulation go? Is it even possible to remember missing memories?_

Gaara held a finger up to stop Naruto from speaking.

“Before you ask, it is impossible to know who has modified your ninja’s memory yet. Why don’t we start by asking Shino what he remembers about his previous visit to Ame?”

Shino told them all that he remembered. It had been a standard shinobi intel mission. He had made contacts among factions and did business with all of them, basing himself in the territory of the Lovers once it became clear enough. All in all, it was a boring story.

“Damn,” Naruto cursed. “Kakashi was Hokage at the time. I can’t tell whether you’ve forgotten anything, Shino.”

Kakashi would be unavailable, having gone on another ‘pilgrimage’, and Tsunade was untraceable, as per usual.

“Inconvenient,” Gaara said. “But this is a good example of how Konoha shinobi are immediately identifiable.”

Naruto grumbled. “Why don’t we just come out and ask the Will of Pain if they know anything about this? Shino knows who sent the lightning bug, so we can use that as leverage to get to the bottom of this.”

It was typical of Naruto to suggest the open path, but Shino was able to support that plan this time. It was somewhat forceful, but it was better than taking a military action or using violence.

“That might be too hasty.” Gaara said. “What if we sent your ninja to that house again? We can find solutions that will avoid any tension with Ame.”

Shino nodded to Naruto. He would be willing to return to that apartment, if only to get closure.

“If Sasuke and Kankuro can support him, I’ll approve it, ya know,” Naruto said. “The rest of us will be attending the meeting.”

Gaara shrugged. There was no harm in allowing Naruto to act with such protectiveness for one of his ninja.

The rain returned overnight. In the morning, Shino led his pair of elite bodyguards back into the packed neighborhood where he had found Shiori. Sasuke trailed him from the ground, staying in the shadows of tall buildings while Kankuro leaped across the rooftops. He had left a little _daruma_ in Shino’s pocket to keep in touch. A thin thread of chakra extended from it, allowing Shino to know where he was, while Sasuke had allowed a single scent bug to dangle at the hem of his robe. This time, Shino was prepared. If he had the slightest hint that his memories were being consumed, he could call for help.

He knocked on the door this time. Shiori opened it, and he noted a look of relief in her eye.

“Ah, Shino- _san_ ,” she said.

“My apologies for yesterday, I remembered that I was late for a meeting,” he said, feeling himself start to sweat despite the cold weather. “We never managed to complete my questionnaire before. Would you mind terribly if we finished that interview?”

“Not at all,” she said. “Come in. I’ll make tea.”

He tested the green tea, surreptitiously letting one of his insects sample it from his finger. Shino had plenty of countermeasures against poison, but knowing whether Shiori was trying to kill him was quite important. When the tests game back negative, he began to sip. In Ame, the tea was of lower qualitybecause they were landlocked, and were much further away from the Land of Tea than Konoha was. Quality came at a higher price with all of those borders and tariffs in the way.

Once he was done with a cup, Shino made a show of getting out his interview materials again. He decided to focus on finding out more about Shiori and her connection to the lightning bug user.

“That girl that I saw yesterday,” Shino said, casual. “That wouldn’t ‘happen to be your sister, would it?”

Shiori shuffled on her seat cushion. “No, not my sister. Shion is my daughter.”

“Daughter?” Shino asked. “Forgive my directness, but you seemed so youthful...”

It was part flattery and part truth. Shiori seemed to be only a little younger than him. She didn’t seem to react to the compliment.

“It must have been hard, to raise her so young,” Shino said. “I can imagine it would be quite difficult to pass on any specialties or train her in the usages of your clan’s bloodline technique _.”_

Shino had checked her fingers and saw no ring. No pictures of anyone except for Shiori and her daughter, Shion. _No father in the picture. Not uncommon in a place like Ame._

“It wasn’t easy in the early years,” she said. “But she’s the type of shinobi that likes to experiment and learn. I’m proud of her.”

_She means that she had no technique to pass on to her daughter,_ Shino thought.

“I suppose that means that you might not be able to assess her abilities versus the genin of other villages, then.”

“I know!” Shiori exclaimed. “Why don’t you ask her these questions yourself?”

“Ah--” Shino wanted to interrupt, but Shiori was packed full of bluster and called her daughter in from the next room before he could say anything. He hoped Sasuke and Kankuro would overlook his lapse.

Shion’s proximity surprised him-- once again, he had detected none of her active chakra, just traces that followed her into the living room before she sat down. He made a mental note to ask Sasuke what he had seen later. For now, he would take a page from Naruto’s book and be direct.

“Hello,” he said. “I want to ask you some questions about your jutsu. Before that, though, do you have anything to ask me?”

Shion looked at him from between overlong bangs. He heard no response from her. That was fine, Shino had taught many shy children.

“That’s okay,” he said. “I have enough questions for the both of us. Let’s start with a simple one: what is your specialty jutsu, and how did you come to use it?”

She said nothing. Her hand rested on the plastic casing of a portable computer, one of the earliest models ever produced.

“You like computers?” Shino asked.

Shion nodded, her features grave.

“Have you ever tried using chakra with computers?”

She nodded again.

“Did you use some form of chakra bug to send me a message?”

He looked over his sunglasses at her, forcing himself to keep his composure. His tone had to be neutral, it had to be supportive. He could see Shiori, standing in his peripheral vision, hands clasped. After much hesitation, Shion gave him another nod.

“Can you tell me why that message said _Papa_?”

No response. Shiori poured more tea into his cup, its steam fogging his glasses.

“Can somebody else tell me about this?”

She said nothing, but her eyes had darted towards her mother. _That’s a solid lead._

“I have one last question. Are you doing all right? Is there any way I, or the 5 Kages can help you?”

Shion finally spoke. “Everything is fine now. I’m happy. Don’t worry.” Her voice was raspy, but the tone was cheerful. Her smile was faint, but Shino felt reassured by its presence. Then everything fell apart.

His network of sensor bugs went off, one after the other. Six targets were coming, spread along all directions, speeding through kilometers of space almost faster than he could triangulate their locations.

“Get down!” he warned, and then the six shinobi were upon them, some phasing through the wall and others bursting through metal walls and into Shiori’s apartment. He had formed a protective dome around Shion and Shiori, strong enough that debris came to an immediate halt against the toughened shells of his beetles.

The identity of the six attackers had been easy enough to predict.

“Listen, Will of Pain,” Shino said to the ones surrounding them. “I am a _jonin_ of the Land of Fire. This entire matter is my doing-- as such, I place all blame upon myself.”

“Very well,” they said. “Under the authority of your Hokage, you are subject to termination for the purposes of our security.”

_Naruto would never authorize that order._

“I reject the premise of this arrest,” he said, insects spilling out into the air in readiness. “I know the Seventh Hokage as a man of unparalleled mercy and compassion. How? Because I am no such man.”

His hands readied a sign. “Come, then, if you want to know the limits of my mercy.”

Shino was prepared to fight, but the daruma doll in his jacket was being pulled backwards by Kankuro. His team-mates had made the call: they were pulling back, and he would hitch a ride by way of the doll. He formed a protective sphere around Shiori and Shion that bore them through a massive hole in the and up into the air alongside him. The Will of Pain followed at a distance, and then again surrounded them when Shion was pulled up onto a rooftop by Kankuro.

He stood back-to-back with Kankuro and Shiori, with Shion in their center. _The Manji formation._

“Where is Sasuke?”

Sasuke joined the formation, appearing into place, but he was not alone. Naruto was brought alongside him, glowing with the chakra of his Tailed Beast.

“The other four Kage are on the way,” Naruto called out. “Let’s find a diplomatic solution, please.”

The six ninja of Pain must have agreed, because they settled on distant rooftops. Once the other 4 Kage arrived, the situation had completely de-escalated.

“What do you mean, you were authorized by order of the Hokage. That’s me, ya know! Naruto Uzumaki!”

The Will of Pain had sent a single representative to the rooftop. It would have been quite crowded otherwise.

“It was the will of the Sixth Hokage, in order to prevent mass conflict.”

Sasuke and Kankuro pulled Naruto aside for a moment, and all three whispered to each other, looking at Shino. He could have snooped on what they were saying, but held off, believing that if he had not been told until this point, there must have been a reason. When he stepped close, Naruto placed his intact hand on Shino’s shoulder.

“Okay, Shino, I’m going to ask you a question: Did that genin, Shion, tell you why she sent you a message?”

_Why is he asking me? Kankuro was listening in through his doll._

“She didn’t tell me why, no.”

Naruto sighed. Sasuke took over. “I will tell you something, Shino. Repeat it after me.”

Shino waited a few moments, and then realized that Sasuke had not said anything.

“We don’t have time for strange experiments, Sasuke,” Shino said. “We need to interview Shiori about her daughter.”

“There’s no need,” Sasuke said. “Or at the very least, it wouldn’t matter. You would forget her answers right away. Just like you forgot her face. Just as you forgot Naruto’s words just now. Just as you forgot Shion’s answers to you just a few minutes ago.”

_What is he talking about?_ Shino thought. _I haven’t forgotten anything. I talked with Shion, but she said very little. I was been alert this time; I’ve been pre-emptively releasing myself from any possible genjutsu. My memory should be intact... But how does one remember what they have forgotten? If the past few minutes are filled with holes that I cannot see, why wouldn’t the same be for years in the past, when I was present in Ame?_

A disturbing thought seized Shino. He began to speak, ‘thinking aloud’ to keep himself from being overwhelmed. It was an Aburame technique.

“The Will of Pain wanted to kill me under the authority of the Hokage,” Shino said. “But they never said which Hokage. Why? It must be because of some secret deal with a past Hokage. But it was no simple agreement; it involves me specifically.”

“Kakashi signed off on your death? Doesn’t sound like him, ya know.” Naruto said. Shino had the same idea.

“I don’t think killing me was the Sixth Hokage’s first choice. It must have been a fail-safe if some other plan went wrong. It all centers around my involvement with two people: Shiori, and her daughter Shion.”

Shino glanced at them. They both were watching him out of the corner of their eyes. _Shiori always seemed as if she had been hiding a secret._

Sasuke asked him another question to help guide his thoughts. “Do you remember Shiori pouring you that second cup of tea?”

Shino nodded.

“Well, then, do you remember how she got to the kitchen for the teapot and back?”

Shino tried to remember. All he could remember was asking Shion a question and then looking up with fog in his glasses and his question unanswered. Shiori’s movement hadn’t registered at all in his mind, which was not like him. _All I could remember was that my question was unanswered. Unanswered. The answer became undone, just as Shiori’s movement disappeared, just as her likeness dropped out of my memories. My memories disappeared and my mind attempted to pave them over._

“My memories have been altered, but not through any work of illusion,” Shino said. “This goes beyond _genjutsu_ because I’ve taken every precaution against them.”

Sasuke spoke. “We were listening the entire time. Shion had many words for you, but you could not remember them. Among the things she told you were truths so severe that the Will of Pain was forced to act.”

Naruto crossed his arms, facing the representative of Pain. “Tell us, then. I’m the Hokage, and I say that whatever agreement you had with the Sixth is null until we find out what’s going on here.”

For the first time, the hooded figure spoke without the sense of recitation.

“Very well. Shino of the Aburame clan was sent by the Sixth Hokage to our city. He was instructed to collect intelligence on the conditions inside of the city, but after identifying the Lovers of Pain as the most reasonable party, Shino of the Aburame was given a secondary duty: assist the Lovers of Pain in eliminating all competing factions.”

_A perfect mission for me. It made sense: peace would not start immediately after our war against Madara Uchiha. ‘Peace’ could only be established in some places by force. Using my clan’s insect techniques, I would be able to influence the war from the shadows without ever revealing myself. If I was Hokage, I would have sent a shinobi like me._

“The Land of Fire has benefited from peace in Ame, but weren’t we already supplying you indirectly?” Naruto said. “It’s risky to send one of our own in, in a lot of ways.”

“I do not have any further details. Shino of the Aburame agreed to undergo a distinctive memory-sealing technique to preserve the security of his mission.”

“Secure it? From who?”

“The entire continent,” Shino said. He was beginning to understand the dimensions of his forgotten memories.

It was like he was assembling a puzzle, but the only piece missing was himself.

“It should be clear by now that the decision to seal Aburame’s memories was mistaken,” Sasuke said. “His involvement could never have been contained within his own memories.”

Shiori’s message had broken the seal. Just one message saying ‘Papa’ was enough to bring all Five Kages to the brink of war with Ame. He needed to finish the puzzle. Shino needed his memories.

“Naruto, please, I request you to undo the seal that the honorable Sixth Hokage and the Will of Pain placed upon me.”

In effect, he was requesting Naruto undo his own teacher’s work. Shino knew it was a lot to ask, given how much was still unknown.

“Of course I will,” Naruto said. “Ol’ Kakashi will just have to complain about it later.”

He turned to the Will of Pain.

“You heard me-- as active Hokage, I cancel whatever agreement we have over Shino’s memory. Undo whatever _jutsu_ made him forget.”

Together, the six shinobi bowed, but only the representative on their tower took any further action. He snapped his fingers, and Shino felt the sound cascade through his entire being. It was as if the wave went from his ears and into his brain. His consciousness blanked out for a brief moment. When it returned, he did not feel much different than usual. Memories, after all, were stored in his head. Replacing what was missing was nothing other than a return to normality.

Even still, he reviewed the memories of his past: of course, it was not a complete record, but his own observations would be more reliable than anything the Will of Pain had said. The past rushed at him from within, surging after years under pressure.


	3. End, and the Beginning

_After two weeks, he knew that the Lovers of Pain were the best chance Ame had. Even if they had a strong religious connection to Pain, the Lovers were better than the cannibals, criminals, puppets, and other such gangs that littered the city. He commandeered a satellite transmission antenna to send a message to the Hokage and had received a quick response: “Assist the Lovers of Pain in establishing authority by all means available. Conceal your nationality. Good luck.”_

_And just like that, Shino’s peaceful intelligence gathering mission became an ANBU-like black operation. He began to act against the gangs that opposed the Lovers of Pain, focusing on the nearest targets so that his faction of choice could take over the unclaimed territory. In the next week, he had killed more than his entire career up to that point-- all while living a double life as a merchant. He tried to catch up on his sleep in the early hours of the morning between his assassinations and when the market opened._

_The small gangs of rogue ninja were no big problem for him, but it was difficult to slip out of the neighborhood and then sneak back in without alerting the sentries. Shino had known that slipping up was only a matter of time as the small fry were eliminated from the city. The risks increased as the Lovers expanded and eliminated weaker rivals, becoming surrounded exclusively by serious contenders for the city. Rumors in the market suggested that other countries had become involved in the war, sending shinobi among the enemy groups. A shadow war was breaking out._

_His allegiances were forced into the open soon after foreign involvement began. He had almost returned to Lovers territory when a group of shinobi ambushed him. There had been at least a dozen of them, multiple teams who had been waiting to catch Lovers ninja on their way back from night raids. He attempted to run, but the group had planned their ambush to funnel their quarry deeper into enemy territory. Shino chose to adjust his retreat into a running battle, going parallel to both borders and fighting up and down the street as ninja chased him._

_Shuriken and jutsu had rained down upon him like rain. He sacrificed thousands of insects to protect himself and sent hundreds in to kill those unskilled enough to get close. The collateral damage was significant: the no-mans-land between territories was further demolished, with fireballs melting metal and walls destroyed by upheaved earth. The disturbance drew more shinobi from both sides, and a full-scale battle erupted with Shino caught in the middle. As daylight came, the battles slowed down into sniper duels between users of long-range jutsu, forcing him to creep through the ruins, hiding his presence from all._

_He had lowered himself into a utility basement, crouching low under overhanging pipes. His insects spotted someone deeper in, hidden among concrete and wires. At a certain point, he was able to follow a blood trail to find the shinobi. That was the first time he met Shiori. A shuriken launched by a high-velocity jutsu had torn right through her thigh, nicking an artery and cutting a deep furrow into her. It had taken all of her energy to crawl into a hiding spot and apply a tourniquet. She would die slowly if nothing was done, but her shinobi pride kept her from asking a stranger for help._

_Despite the appearance he liked to show the world, Shino was not the kind of man who could let a person bleed out in front of him. Even still, the Aburame clan did not practice standard medical jutsu. What he next proposed to her would be a violation of his clan’s code._

_He could apply one of his insects to her artery. With a jolt of his own chakra, it would bind to her and crush itself to death, using the fibrin that formed its body to seal her wound and create an instant clot. It was an ethical problem because the fibrin and platelets were derived directly from his own body. He had let a certain species of bug feed upon his blood until it was composed entirely of his cells: his only medical technique was grafting himself into this new shinobi._

_The tissues of his body were sacred in the eyes of the Aburame clan; chakra insects were not a technique passed through the blood, but were instead passed entirely through their knowledge on how to manage their swarms. Applying his bug to a fellow clan member would have been exceedingly intimate (bordering on inappropriate) and reserved only for emergencies. Applying his insect to a stranger was entirely forbidden._

_Shino had explained the dilemma to Shiori, weak as she was from blood loss. By giving her one of his insects, he technically would be placing her into his clan. In the eyes of Aburame tradition, this would only be done when new family members were inducted, such as at marriages and births. Shino was certainly not proposing marriage, but he had to ensure Shiori understood the importance of keeping this a secret. She agreed, and they confirmed that their blood types were compatible before he acted._

_In breathless silence, he pushed his insect into the wound in her thigh, the carapace still warm from his own body. Once it made contact, he pressed with his thumb and channeled energy into it. It flattened out and coated her artery. Within a few moments the platelets it held within itself were caught in its microscopic fibers, and the nick scabbed over. No more arterial bleeding. The rest of the wound had been shallow, so Shino used a less special bug that shed adhesive along the wound, binding the cut together when he pressed it closed. When he was done, Shiori smiled weakly with gratitude._

_They were still trapped in the middle of a warzone with snipers on the surface above them, but death would not come immediately. Shino allowed himself to rest with his insects acting as lookouts. After fighting for hours, he needed to recharge and have his swarms regenerate. He laid down, hands cushioning his head from the dusty concrete. Every now and then he would ask Shiori a question to be sure she hadn’t fainted, but she was quite strong in body. She split her food pills with Shino. Unlike the Konoha-type pills, the Ame rations relied much more on grains to supply their nutrition, but Shino was grateful. He had long since run out of supplies after an extended period in combat._

_When Shino felt ready to move again, it was late in the afternoon. When night-time came, the snipers would be less effective, but the other shinobi would storm in to make up for it. A large-scale conflict did not provide optimal conditions-- he needed to be back in his safehouse in Lovers territory by the time the battlefield emerged again._

_When he offered a hand to Shiori, she did not understand what he was doing._

_“Why don’t you leave me? I’m going to slow you down out there.”_

_Shino shook his head. “That is true. But our chances of survival are higher together. You are a Lovers shinobi, correct? You have a heart symbol pinned to your forehead protector.”_

_She touched her pin. “Oh, I probably should’ve guessed you were a friendly. Where’s your Lovers’ mark?”_

_“I’m not from here,” Shino said. “Therefore, only you can help me get back into your territory without being challenged by the sentries.”_

_“Oh,” she said. “Well, I’ll put in a good word for you, but not everyone is so ‘loving’, despite our name.”_

_After that, they moved out onto the streets, protected in part by heavier rains but also by their own jutsu. At one point, Shiori pointed at an enemy shinobi that was about to attack them, and the person abruptly turned and walked away._

_“We only have a minute,” Shiori had said. Shino would not find out what she had done until later._

_True to her word, Shiori covered for him when they passed back into their territory. Just after the border wall, they were stopped by a group of six shinobi. Only two of that group would be present years later under the collective title ‘the Will of Pain”. But even though the group was still in their infancy, their role was the same, serving as the political authority of the Lovers._

_They explained that they had noticed Shino’s work on their behalf much earlier and knew his origins in Konoha. In fact, they had contacted the Hokage at the time to confirm that Shino’s life should be protected. His cover had been blown earlier than he had thought. The Will of Pain suggested that he join a team because of his importance. When he asked who his partners would be, the Will of Pain had only pointed to Shiori._

_“That one has lost her partner.”_

_And so, he began to operate with Shiori. She quickly recovered thanks to the medical treatment he had provided and the strength of her own body. Her own abilities centered around temporary memory erasure, so it ended up being quite convenient for the two of them to trick enemy sentries into forgetting them on the way into enemy territory for raids and assassinations. As they escaped back out of the mission area, they would backtrack and make the same exact guard ‘forget’ to see them leave._

* * *

_The Lovers operated in two person teams that were instructed to stay together at all times, so they were given much time to become close. Shino and Shiori were both rather quiet people, but they happened to be quite talkative when they were together. They would talk for hours when they returned to his safehouse. Shiori loved books, so they spent their time reading, talking, and sleeping in synchronization._

_They were ordered to perform increasingly dangerous missions each night. Enemy groups had begun to ally among themselves to focus on fighting the Lovers. On a good night, any ninja mission would involve a few close calls and a near-death experience or two, but the allied and organized enemy they fought against made every operation feel like a suicide mission. The two of them began to return to the safehouse with more injuries and less energy. As soon as one faction was eliminated, another would become aggressive. Shino had suspicions that these opponents were coordinating with external powers but had no actual evidence. It felt as if the Lovers were not fighting parts of the city for control, but instead fought the entire world for each new neighborhood._

_In those conditions, even reasonable people like Shino and Shiori could be driven to make strange decisions and act in strange ways. Or perhaps there is nothing strange about what happens between two people who feel as if they are fighting the world: one morning, the pressure of the world made them come together. It had felt natural to Shino. It involved none of the angst or worry that he had held towards his prospects at love. Their job continued on after that, just as usual._

_Their co-operation improved. Gang leaders and corrupt shinobi died, and their organizations toppled. As the most powerful faction, the Lovers of Pain were able to negotiate peaceful groups to join them. The Altar of Pain was an effective symbol for the purposes of re-unification, and towards the end of the conflict, the addition of new neighborhoods could often be bloodless._

_There was one last holdout that resisted all diplomacy, killing even the messengers and traders that approached. Shino and Shiori could not find a way to infiltrate the last territory. They had to turn away multiple nights in a row, after only getting through one or two layers of defense. Some very skilled Ame Shinobi were being killed during their attempted raids, after hundreds of previous victories._

_The Will of Pain remained calm. Through careful observation, Shino had observed that the six ninja were only synchronized through intense practice; they did not actually speak or act at the same time, but instead copied each other. Political decisions were made behind closed doors where they could argue in private, but all of their speaking and moving in public was decided by whichever particular shinobi decided to act first. They had jointly decided to be patient with the last remaining neighborhood and focus on strengthening their own territory._

_The strategy ran into its first obstacle when the last enemy went on the offensive, killing randomly in areas where the Lovers had not fully established themselves. Shino and Shiori were ordered to ambush these raiders before they made it to their targets. One evening, they succeeded. Shino used a thick cloud of insects to mask their movements while Shiori threw kunai and kept the enemy continually confused in a loop of forgetfulness. The only survivor was a ninja who was skilled at substitution and cloning, escaping only through the strength of his panic. From a rooftop, he called down to the team in anger._

_“I know you, Shino of the Aburame! And soon, the entire world will know that Konoha sent its shinobi here!”_

_The survivor escaped back to his own lines. When Shino told the Will of Pain what happened, they disappeared to consult among themselves. Once they emerged, they said the Hokage would be contacted for assistance. In the meanwhile, the military strength of the Lovers had become sufficient to conduct one last attack. Shino and Shiori were ordered to remain in the home territory while the War of Amegakure Reunification came to an end._

_That night, there was no celebration for Shino and Shiori. He had fully analyzed the situation: his cover had been thoroughly blown. Foreign ninja and spies would no doubt be aware of Shino’s status as a Konoha ninja. He would be a political liability in the post-war city, a constant sign of foreign meddling. More importantly, his mission for Konoha had been completed and he would be quickly forced to return home. Shino did not tell Shiori any of this. If he asked, he knew that Shiori would abandon her city to come with him, but Shino would not be able to do the same: choosing to stay in Ame would result in the Lovers losing legitimacy. They would be rumored to be nothing but puppets of Konoha if he was a known resident._

_When they were called before the Will of Pain, Shino pressed a vial into Shiori’s hand._

_“What’s this?” she had asked._

_“An insect of my clan. It is currently in the pupal stage, but the chrysalis will hatch immediately when the seal is broken.”_

_She looked it over. “What is it for? Why give it to me?”_

_Shino had shrugged. “Just hold onto it for me, please.” It was a keepsake, a remembrance, but he could not let her know that._

_And then the Will of Pain handed him a sealed scroll. It bore the seal of the Land of Fire. It was an order from the Hokage, in the messy handwriting of Kakashi. Shino deciphered the code in his head, then looked up at the Will of Pain, seated on cushions on their elevated dais._

_“I presume the Hokage sent you similar instructions,” he said._

_“Indeed,” they said. “But we propose one variation. We will not destroy your memories and send you home an amnesiac. You have done us an honorable service, Shino of the Aburame. We will take a certain amount of risk upon ourselves, if you will too.”_

_There was a rare technique for the small number of missions where secrecy was indispensable: ninja could have their memories destroyed by jutsu to prevent any records from existing, even those inside of one’s head. If lucky, the technique would allow a shinobi to keep their oldest memories, but oftentimes ninja woke up with little more than their ability to communicate._

_Kakashi’s letter had told him that foreign countries were spreading rumors that Konoha was going to annex Ame, using Shino’s presence as proof. Certain smaller countries bordering the Land of Fire were discussing forming an alliance to pre-emptively invade and secure their independence. On his return, Shino would have to be interrogated by a panel of foreign Daimyo and their best ninja to test whether Konoha really was meddling with its neighbors. _

_Kakashi had not come out with a direct order for him to destroy his own memories, but the implication was obvious: if Shino wanted peace to continue, something would have to be done about the records he kept in his head before chakra-sensing ninja and interrogators interviewed him._

_The Will of Pain offered him a better alternative to destruction. Shiori would use her jutsu to selectively control his memories, and then the Will would use a sealing technique to keep the jutsu in effect. Because Shiori’s jutsu only used chakra when first activated, there would be no external sign that Shino’s memories were being suppressed. It would all be trapped inside of his head, the effects bouncing around his mind for all time. It would be his only keepsake from Shiori._

_“The Hokage has told us that this secret must be kept, with death if necessary,” the Will said. “We hope that one day this will change, but until then...”_

_Shino nodded. “I understand. You may comply with the Hokage’s orders and kill me if my memories threaten to return.”_

_Shiori crossed her arms. “This is stupid. Why should Konoha care about a bunch of small fry threatening war against them? They have that Uzumaki jinchuriki and hordes of other jonin. They even have Shino!”_

_Shino was at a loss for words. Leaving Shiori like this was potentially the most difficult thing he had ever done in his life. It was beyond his ability to tactically analyze._

_“Come on, Shino, say something. You’ve got a plan, right? Hey...”_

_Shiori looked confused and hurt. Shino had led her through death and to victory countless times, never hesitating once. Why could he not explain to her the importance of peace over victory?_

_“I’m sorry.” He could not even look her in the face. After all of the nights they had spent together, the things they had shared. After all of it, he could not even explain himself to her._

_Shiori was adaptable. She was a ninja of Ame, she could accept a bad ending. Seeing the world coming between her and the things she wanted was not a new occurrence. It was her life._

_“Fine. I’m used to saying goodbye,” she said, readying her hands for the memory-jutsu. “Are you ready, Shino? Are you ready, lords?”_

_Shino nodded. It hurt even more to know that Shiori could accept him disappearing. What kind of a life had she lived until this point? How many of her loved ones had she lost? Would she be all right by herself?_

_The Will of Pain signaled their readiness, and then Shino’s memories blanked out into oblivion. The next thing he could remember was walking away from the shore by Ame. He remembered being glad to get away from the rain-- strangely, the downpour had only left his face wet. He then put aside those thoughts and set his feet in the direction of Konoha. He had a life to get back to, training to be a schoolteacher. He left Ame behind in his memories and spent more than ten years never suspecting that anything had been left behind._

_It all had unraveled with that single insect he had left behind with Shiori. She implanted it in her daughter, Shion upon birth, and then Shion had invented her own techniques to send a message to the man her mother had talked about. ‘PAPA’._

_It was a stroke of incredible luck that he could be brought back to Ame and recover his memories. But what would he do next?_

* * *

For Shino, his brief journey through his memories had seemed to last every single hour of the hidden weeks. In reality, he had been out of service for less than a minute. This was no less worrying for the people around him because he had fainted from the mental pressure. He sat up and accepted Kankuro’s hand to get himself on his feet.

Naruto sighed in relief. “Things were about to get serious here. Good to have you back.”

The Will of Pain bowed to Shino. Shino bowed back.

“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the Will said. “But you understand our reasons now, correct?”

“Unmistakably so,” he replied. “But you have one last person to apologize to. That’s because the sealing of my memories required the work of two parties.”

Shiori had been standing outside of the circle of Konoha ninja, but they split to allow her in when Shino pointed to her. Shion tagged along, staring in defiance at everyone.

“I’m sorry for leaving you,” Shino told Shiori.

“It couldn’t be helped,” Shiori said. “This is what is means to be a shinobi.”

With the pride of ninja, they would not say anything more on the subject in public.

Shino looked towards Shion. “Is this my daughter?”

“See for yourself.” Shiori pulled Shion in front of her.

Shion was a lot like her mother. But there was something that was unmistakably from him. She pointed a finger at him, and then turned it over so that he could see what was resting upon her fingertip. It was a chakra insect from his clan. The signature on it was the one he had been tracking all this time, but this time it was active, giving him a definite confirmation. It was what he had always expected, in the irrational corners of his mind. He _had_ been a father, with a child he could not remember.

“I’m sorry, Shion,” he said. “I was unable to be there for you. You had to learn everything by yourself.”

Shion patted him on the shoulder, her hands already toughened by years of practice.

“It’s fine, Papa. I’m quite good at teaching myself. We survived on our own.”

The bug on her fingertip crackled with lightning energy during her next words.

“Why?” she said. “Because that’s the ninja way for us Ame shinobi.”

* * *

The Young Shinobi Union finished its inaugural conference and The Konoha ninja took the train home. Again, Boruto and Sarada were chattering among themselves, never knowing how close they were to a war breaking out.

Naruto looked soberly at the city as it faded into the lake. Shino knew that the events of today were just another reminder for the current Hokage that the history of Konoha had its own dark secrets. It seemed that Naruto should have known that more than anyone. They were shinobi after all. Their role in society had emerged from the shadows. That darkness was in all of them: it was why Shiori had agreed so easily to remove his memory. It was why she and their daughter had stayed behind as he returned to Konoha. Ninja were shinobi, and shinobi were forged by their own wills. It was written in the very characters of the word _shinobi_.

“We don’t have to talk about it, ya know.” Naruto kept his gaze locked out of the window as he spoke.

“Is there anything to talk about?” Shino asked. “Because I more or less stopped taking missions after I taught my first class of students at the Ninja Academy. None of this was your fault.”

“How could Kakashi…” Naruto’s thoughts burst out. “I thought he, at least, would understand the importance of each ninja. Why did he agree to this?”

Shino didn’t have a good answer. But he could defend the decision.

“It was my mistake, Naruto. I could not maintain my cover as a merchant. I could not keep my identity secret. In the past, Ninja have been killed for that.”

Naruto’s fist clenched. “The number of ninja who died to save us all… the fighting we did together. Did none of it mean anything? I can’t accept that.”

Shino sighed. “No one could accept that. Amegakure became a battleground because the Five Great Kage were still the dominant force after all of that fighting, all of that sacrifice. The country Ame sits on is a piece of land that links three of the Great Lands together. Controlling it would keep the alliance of the Five Great Kage weak.”

Naruto finally looked away from the window. “I never looked at it that way.”

“Neither did I,” Shino said. “But there has to be a reason for all of what I did. Kakashi-sensei would not order me into such danger just to bully other countries. Ame has its own value. And now the city can determine the path of its cooperation freely.”

The sentiment reached Naruto. His eyes widened as if he came to his own realization.

He stood up and bowed. “Thank you, Shino. For everything you’ve done, for all that you have sacrificed for Konoha and peace.”

Shino bowed back. “Thank you, Lord Hokage, for your assistance, and your trust.”

Shino decided to get some air at the caboose. He could stand at the very end of the train and catch the last glimpses of the towers of Ame. As he leaned on the rail, a storm rose up in the distance, and he saw even the Altar of Pain become enveloped in a storm.

Boruto joined him, the plucky kid displaying a mix of his father’s good-naturedness and his mother’s sense.

“Are you all right, Shino- _sensei_?”

Shino put on a smile. “Oh, yes. Just enjoying the weather.”

Boruto hesitated, but decided to push on.

“I heard about some of what happened. I never knew you had a daughter. Or that she’s older than me.”

“That’s because I didn’t know, either.”

“Oh.”

The train clacked along for a while, but it did not take long for Boruto to speak again.

“Maybe you actually did know.”

“What?”

“Remember those times I saw you with that Kuraa-ma doll? I thought it was weird because you were treating it just like a child, feeding it and stuff.”

With great shame, Shino could recall play-feeding a plush Kurama doll on a festival day. Boruto had spotted him, and he had quickly hidden it, but it seemed he had not stopped his former student from seeing him in a compromising position. It almost made him wish for Shiori’s memory jutsu.

“Maybe you were spoiling that doll because some part of you knew that you had an actual daughter somewhere else. So it wasn’t weird, after all!”

Shino sighed. In a normal situation, he would get flustered, but he was too tired.

“You have a point, Boruto.” He didn’t have the heart to tell the child that there was no way he could have known he had a child. Even Shiori had been surprised when she ended up pregnant, because the two had taken every precaution against a child.

“They aren’t coming back to Konoha with you?” he asked.

“Their life is in Ame,” Shino said. “I was just a visitor.”

“Oh. Maybe they’ll come visit next time!” Boruto said. There were limits to a child’s understanding on the issue.

When they arrived home to Konoha, it was deep into night. Sakura was waiting for her daughter. Hinata was there too, with Himawari standing by to welcome the family. Shino had no one waiting for him, but that was not new, and was usually not something that bothered him.

The walk to his apartment alternated between the overbright fluorescence of the main road and the gloom of residential streets. He walked up the stairs to his apartment. His door swung open to reveal emptiness. He could hear his faucet leaking. He shed his coat at the door and then tossed the rest of his clothes into the laundry hamper. He saw himself in the bathroom mirror, his torso and arms pitted with the places his insects lived.

_I was a fool to ever think someone could ever love me like this._

Shino cursed in frustration. He was in his thirties and had been alone for the vast majority of that time. It was a state of being that he had accepted. But now he had his memories returned to him.

 _Nighttime,_ _pressed against Shiori as they hid behind piles of rubble. Dawn, as they kissed, lounging on crates in his safehouse. Daytime, with her sleeping in the crook of his arm as dim strains of sunlight filtered through the curtains._ All that he had now were the memories. _Was it enough for all of this to be worth it?_

He collapsed into bed, too upset to sleep. He rested there for a while, trying not to think of anything. Then he heard his portable computer make a sound from his desk. With monumental effort, Shino pushed himself to stand up and check it.

The sound had been from his electronic mailbox. Two messages had arrived. One was from Shiori. The subject line read ‘Plans to visit Konoha’. The other mail had come from Shion.

It was titled ‘Papa’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin. Thank you for reading, leaving kudos, and all of the other ways you have supported me.
> 
> People often say that Shino got the short end of the stick when it came to the show, and I'm sorry to say that this fic doesn't repair that. I hope you can see the hint of better things ahead for him, nevertheless.


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